NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Monday said it was working with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to make periodic structural audits and safety certifications mandatory for buildings used for public activities. Structures include paying guest (PG) accommodations, nursing homes and schools, following the collapse of a building in Satya Niketan that killed six people.Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta announced the proposed policy during her visit to the Satya Niketan site, where rescue and debris-clearing operations continued. The move is expected to put greater scrutiny on ageing buildings that have been converted or adapted for high-occupancy uses, particularly PGs and other properties where structural alterations can increase safety risks.“The government, in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation, is formulating a policy mandating that any building intended for public use—whether a PG, nursing home, school, or any other facility—must undergo periodic structural audits and safety certifications; otherwise, no public activity will be permitted there.”The proposed framework could significantly tighten compliance requirements for Delhi’s ageing building stock, particularly properties operating as student housing and other accommodation facilities. Buildings failing to obtain the required safety certification would not be allowed to continue public-facing activities under the proposed policy.Gupta also said the government would not permit residents to remain in buildings considered unsafe and said alternative accommodation had been arranged for people evacuated from the collapsed property.“We will not allow anyone to reside in unsafe PGs. We have arranged accommodation in college hostels for those evacuated from the building, and the government is ensuring their needs are met. We are in contact with the parents of the students affected by this tragedy and are providing them with full support to alleviate their distress. Regarding government officials whose oversight, negligence, or other lapses contributed to this situation, strict action will be taken against them this very day; no one will be spared,” she added.
Basement work under scrutiny
The collapse has also brought the structural condition and subsequent alterations of the property under scrutiny. Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said preliminary information indicated that the building was around 40 to 50 years old and that work in its basement may have triggered the collapse.“The information received so far indicates that while this building was 40-50 years old, attempts were made to carry out work in its basement, which triggered this accident. The Chief Minister stated yesterday itself that strict action would be taken regarding the issues raised,” he told reporters.The episode highlights a key challenge for Delhi’s real estate landscape: older buildings being used for purposes that may involve substantially different occupancy levels and structural demands from those for which they were originally designed. The government’s proposed audit regime could therefore bring building age, structural modifications and safety certification into sharper focus for property owners and operators.An adjoining structure at the site, also estimated to be 40 to 50 years old, has already been evacuated and is slated for demolition. However, authorities said it cannot be brought down immediately because the structure is unstable and the condition beneath the debris remains uncertain.“The NDRF team is continuously engaged in the operation. You can see that this situation involves a high degree of sensitivity because the building visible in the background is also 40–50 years old. It poses a major challenge for the NDRF to ensure no damage occurs to the adjacent building while clearing the debris from below and checking for any further casualties. However, the NDRF is a highly capable force; I have gathered information and spoken with the NDRF chief. The adjacent building will definitely be demolished—it has already been evacuated and is slated for demolition. But the challenge right now is that the structure is currently unstable; we do not yet know the condition beneath the accumulated debris, so it cannot be demolished immediately,” he said.
MCD orders demolition
The MCD had on Sunday ordered the demolition of the collapsed building at Property No. 13, Satya Niketan, within three days, describing it as being in a “ruinous/dangerous condition” and warning that it posed a risk to occupants as well as people in the surrounding neighbourhood.Gupta returned to the site on Monday and met National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials to review the ongoing search, rescue and debris-removal operation. The operation remains underway.The collapse has also triggered protests over building safety and administrative accountability. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) demonstrated on Monday, demanding action against those responsible.NSUI president Vinod Jakhar alleged that the rescue response exposed wider shortcomings in disaster preparedness, including a lack of planning, equipment, management and an adequate rescue team.With the death toll at six and the search operation still continuing, the Satya Niketan incident has put renewed focus on the safety of Delhi’s ageing properties, particularly those being used as high-density residential or public facilities. The proposed mandatory certification policy could mark a significant shift towards periodic structural scrutiny rather than relying primarily on action after buildings are declared dangerous or suffer structural failures.
